PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): Senior officials on Monday said 86 security posts had been set up around the Ainak copper mine in central Logar province and urged investors to resume work on tapping the world’s largest deposits.
A landmark $3 billion deal was signed with the China Metallurgical Group (MCC) and Jiangxi Copper to produce copper in 2007, but the consortium has demanded a review of the deal, dashing Kabul's hope for economic self-reliance.
An independent anti-corruption monitor, Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA), said the Chinese firms also wanted to delay the start of production by five... Read more

Pajhwok holds first conference on Afghan...

KABUL (Pajhwok): Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) on Sunday held its first investigative conference on mining in Afghanistan, highlighting six basic problems crippling the sector.
The news agency expressed its concerns about illegal mineral extractions and smuggling of the riches in a year-long investigation report released at an academic gathering in Kabul.
Mining experts, Wolesi Jirga members, civil society activists, Ministry of Mines officials, university teachers, Academy of Sciences members and media representatives were present at the day-long conference.
The participants, who admired the... Read more

Coal price up, fuel stable in Kabul markets

KABUL (Pajhwok): The price of coal went up while rates of food items went down during the outgoing week in Kabul, market sources said on Thursday.
A firewood seller Khan Mohammad in Charahi Shaheed area of Kabul said the price of 560 kg of peeled oak decreased from last week’s 7,200 afghanis to 7,000afs and of unpeeled oak increased from the previous 6,400afs to 6,500afs.
He told Pajhwok Afghan News the rate of 560kg of coal jumped from 5,800 afs to 6,400 during the week. Mohammad linked the hike in coal price to the blockade of the Salang highway by snowfall.
Mohammad Sharif, a retailer in... Read more

Badakhshan clash being investigated

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): The Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into the killing of five policemen in a clash with armed men loyal to an illegal commander over the control of azure mines in northeastern Badakhshan province, an official said on Wednesday.
Badakhshan police spokesperson Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai told Pajhwok News that the Yamgan district police chief, Abdul Zahir Mujaddedi, and azure mines security guards commander, Assadullah, a day earlier tried to gain control of a portion of the mines from the illegal commander in Kiran wa Manjan district.
But the illegal commander,... Read more

New mining law yet to be published

KABUL (Pajhwok): The new mining law was endorsed by former president Hamid Karzai about three months ago, but the Ministry of Justice (MJ) is yet to publish it in the official gazette.
The draft law was first tabled in the parliament on Aug 9 and later approved and sent to the then president for signing.
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) has welcomed singing into law the bill by the former president, saying the new law would help attract investment.
Some experts say the delay in the law’s publication kept the people uninformed.
Mohammad Jafar Kohistan, a political expert, said once... Read more

"CASA-1000 to leave positive impacts...

KABUL (Pajhwok): Leading economy experts have expressed optimism about the electricity transfer agreement CASA-1000 signed between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Sunday.
The Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project, known as CASA-1000, is aimed at transferring 1300 mega watt of electricity from the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan via Tajikistan to Afghanistan and onwards to Pakistan. Afghanistan is set to receive 300 MW while Pakistani would get a bulk of 1000 MW.
Both the countries signed a deal in the US capital Washington on electricity transit fees.
In the eyes... Read more

Gas price hike blamed on smuggling

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): The smuggling of liquefied gas to Pakistan has resulted in increased prices of the commodity in southern Kandahar province, dealers alleged on Thursday.
They said people could not afford buying gas due to its high rate, urging the government to prevent smuggling of gas to the energy-deficient neighbouring country.
A gas dealer in Kandahar City’s Herat Bazaar, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the price of one kilogram of gas had shot up from 45 and 50 afghanis a month back to 70 and 75 afs today.
He said gas rate usually increased in winter due to the increase in its use... Read more

Protracted poll process hits fuel trade

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Businessmen from the northern zone said on Friday the prolonged election process had left a deeply negative impact on trade activities and dealt a severe blow to security.
Businessmen said the government needed to shift its focus to resolving the problems being encountered by the traders particular those in the fuel business.
ArashYounusi, secretary of the Balkh Chamber of Commerce, told Pajhwok Afghan News the current election stalemate had left commerce and trade activities paralysed throughout the country.
The government, he complained, had shown no urgency to... Read more

FAIZABAD (PAN): The northeastern Badakhshan province has large scale natural resources particularly the locality is rich in azure and ruby stones, which need to be extracted in a professional and legal way.

Badghis is a northwestern province sharing borders with Herat in the west, Faryab in the east, Ghor in the south and Turkmenistan in the north. Qala-i-Naw is the provincial capital of the province. The total area of Badghis province is estimated...

BALKH (PAN): The northern Balkh province is rich in natural resources such as crude oil, cement, aluminum, stucco and sulfur, with the extraction of some mines is underway in some parts of the province.

NILI (Pajhwok): Though central Daikundi is a newly-established province where formal survey to unearth natural reservoirs could not be carried out, however, local survey indicated copper mine existsin large amountthere.

FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): The provincial mines and petroleum department has said the western Farah province is rich in natural reserves with special reference mines but they are not extracted in a proper or official way.

KABUL (Pajhwok): Ghazni is one of Afghanistan’s ancient, populous 2nd-grade provinces, located 145 kilometers west of the central capital Kabul. It has a rich history, ancient sites and enormous mineral wealth. .

LASHKARGAH (PAN): The southern Helmand has around 16 different mines of precious and semi-precious stones but growing lawlessness has provided a renewed impetus to its illegal excavation and smuggling, an official said.

The capital Kabul is located in the central Afghanistan. According to the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP), Kabul province is rich in natural resources. The most popular mines of the province are copper, talc, ruby and marbles.

Kapisa is a mountainous province located on the eastern latitude of 69 degrees and 21 minutes and northern longitude of 35 degrees. The province has a total 121 square kilometres area and situated 1,500 meters...

ASADABAD (PAN): Known as one of the mountainous regions, the eastern Kunar province is excessively rich in natural resources especially mines of precious and semi-precious stones, which need to be extracted in a legal and professional way.

KONDUZ (Pajhwok): Officials said that several mines of natural reservoirs such as petroleum, phosphorus and oxy acetylenehad been existed northern Kunduz province but their extraction could not yet start due to the reasons best known to high...

Laghman is one of strategically important provinces located in the country’s eastern zone. The province is bordering Badakhshan, Nangarhar and Kabul in north, Kunar in east and Kabul and Kapisa provinces in west.

Logar province is located 65- kilometers to the south of capital Kabul. The Kabul province is situated to its north, Paktia to south, Nangarhar to east and Maidan Wardak Province is located to its west. A strip of Ghazni province touches Logar. ...

Nimroz is one of the large provinces located in southwestern part of Afghanistan bordering Iran in the west and Pakistan in the south. It is said that the province was named “Nimroz” in the middle ages.

Paktiais located 120 kilometres south of capital Kabul close to Durand Line. Paktia is of great importance in terms of having underground riches, but the province is neglected in terms of conducting mining exploration survey there.

Paktika is located to the southeast of the country, bordering Paktia and Ghazni in the north. In its northeast is lying Khost and southwest north and South Waziristan Agencies. Baluchistan province of Pakistan and Zabul are located to its west....

The northern Sar-i-Pul province is rich in mineral and natural reserves but their extraction process faces multiple obstacles with special reference the presence of armed groups and remoteness of the areas.

TALOQAN (PAN): The northwestern Takhar province has an estimated 46 different mines containing natural reserves and resources which will considerably bolster national economy if they are extracted in a professional and legal ways.

QALAT (Pajhwok): Officials of southern Zabul mines department said different kinds of mines could be found in various parts of this province, but proper survey was needed to identify its exact volume and location.

Apart from widespread existence of precious and semi-precious stones in Afghanistan, the country is bestowed with prevalent gold reservoirs, which--- if properly excavated and utilized--- would usher an era of economic prosperity and development in the war-battered country.

The natural gold assets in Afghanistan can be found in two forms: Gold in pieces exists in different shapes while gold in sediment forms are collect by people from the rivers’ sides and sand.